This abduction, conversion, coerced marriage must stop: Odoh E. Justus.

                                 The logical pen with Odoh E. Justus/ Ojustus46@gmail.com

The injustice perpetrated by our Muslim brothers against the Christians in Nigeria in the name of religion or cultural belief by abducting, converting, coerced marriage must stop.

 





This heinous act has continued unabated. Sometimes, it was without the knowledge of the larger community until recently,the case of Ese Oruru who was kidnapped from the city of Yenagoa Bayelsa state by one Yunusa Dahiru, taking to kano,converted to Islam and forced into marriage brought it to light.

The lackluster altitude of our security apparatus not to swing into action considering the fact, that, the victims are always teenage girls who have little or no knowledge about marital affairs is a bit worrisome.

It is with no doubt that this unprofessional altitude of our security apparatus was born as a result of  ethnic or religious sentiment which is evidently seen in the perpetrators community. This communities  sometimes, gives full backing by participating in the conversion process as well as their clerics performing full Islamic marital right.

Sometimes, with full knowledge of the plight of their daughters the parents are left to their fate owing to the army of opposition constituting of prominent figures and the police.

Abduction is a crime, with a penalty enshrined in the constitution. This penalty has always been meted out to offenders. But when it comes to abduction, conversion and coerced marriage some rend to justify it
on religious basis.

Nigeria with an estimated population of about 170 million people with various ethnic groups and cultural beliefs must rise against any practice which goes against the fundamental human rights of its citizenry as enshrined in the constitution. 

There should be no room for biased appeal to culture or religion which only serves to a violation of fellow citizens fundamental human right.We should at all times be ready to wield the the big stick to all collaborators of crime no matter how highly placed.

The consequence of not rising against this act will only sour the already tensed ethnic tension.